


Entries Non-Botanical

by mabariis



Series: FE Rarepair Week [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Drawing, F/F, FE Rarepair Week 2019, Fluff, I think this counts as fluff anyway, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), sorry this is a day late
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-30
Updated: 2019-09-30
Packaged: 2020-11-08 09:01:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20832845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mabariis/pseuds/mabariis
Summary: Bernadetta seeks to finish out her sketchbook with a subject far more precious than even her favorite plants. Even the most detailed of leaves is easier, though.





	Entries Non-Botanical

**Author's Note:**

> For FE Rarepair Week Day 1 Prompt: "Leaves"

Bernadetta's sketchbook was almost full. Its pages were packed full of various plant diagrams, detailing their features with as much precision as she could muster. The width of their stems, the shapes of their leaves (or structures that used to be leaves, once upon a time), all drawn upon her pages as she tried to capture what made them each so special. Most of her subjects were plants she knew - common flowers of Fódlan, or the plants within the greenhouse she could go and observe - but several pages were devoted to ones she'd never seen, at least not at the time.

Those pages bore fond memories of the quieter monastery days, how Petra had sought her out to tell her about the plants that only grew in Brigid. How many times had they sat for hours together without realizing, as Bernie tried to put them to paper based solely on what Petra said. She didn't get angry when Bernie asked her questions too quickly, words speeding from her lips as she asked about vein patterns and various shapes - was this wide enough? Did it taper? Petra had been...patient. But excited, too. Looking back, that was probably where it started.

She had comparisons for those old sketches now, drawings done while looking at them in person, from their trip with the professor. The latter set was more refined, but the old ones were a testament to how good Petra's eye was, how well she could describe them. Remarkable, Petra was. Bernie considered herself lucky.

Plants were easy subjects. Even with all their details, they felt simpler to put to paper. People proved much harder.

Bernie tapped the page with her pencil, staring at the round-then-tapered shape she'd drawn. It wasn't quite right. If you broke it down far enough, the same ideas applied to drawing leaves and drawing faces. But the latter was proving _ way _ more difficult. She erased line after line, nothing feeling like it quite captured her subject the way she wanted it to. Bernie let out a deep sigh.

“Bernie? I am calling out to you so as not to frighten you!”

Even if Bernadetta hadn’t been distracted, Petra’s approach would have been as silent as ever. Everyone had determined that calling for her attention was the better option to just appearing close to her, so she could at least get her jumps out of the way. Bernie slammed her sketchbook shut just as Petra sat down near her. She glanced at the sketchbook, a warm smile spreading as she looked.

“You are drawing again! I am surprising that book is not finished. What is it today?” While she spoke, she settled herself down, unrolling a thick sheet of leather and unsheathing a dagger.

Bernie grasped frantically for some sort of lie - the truth felt _ way _ too embarrassing. “Um, just trying to draw something from memory!!” She lowered her head, shoulders slumping like a wilting flower. “It wasn’t going too well, though.”

“I see. Memories are made….fuzzy, sometimes. Difficult.” Petra pulled the leather taut and started sliding the blade over it, flipping it, back and forth. The repetitive motion was...soothing, to watch. Bernie’s head felt a little less frantic now.

The bit of space Petra left between them was normal. She did it on purpose, allowing Bernadetta to determine how close she wanted to be. Normally, she’d scoot her way beside Petra over time, sides touching as much as their actions would allow. Right now, the space gave Bernie a better angle. She opened her sketchbook again.

She started at Petra’s jawline, editing what she’d done to make it more refined, better capture the way it slid into the chin she hadn’t been able to properly place. She sketched in Petra’s nose, feeling herself grow a bit pink as she thought about the way it squished a little when pressed against her. When it came time to block out Petra’s hair, she thought for a moment about trying to draw it down, like she’d seen it a couple times - but thinking back to how badly she’d been doing before, she opted to say with the flowing ponytail and running braids Petra normally wore now.

“Should I not be moving?”

Bernie yelped, jumping without meaning to and almost dropping her sketchbook in the process. Petra reached out, helping Bernie steady herself again.

“Wh-wh-wh-what?!” Bernie managed. She clutched the sketchbook close to her chest, trying to convince herself that maybe Petra hadn’t seen what was on it yet. She giggled, not at all helping the way Bernadetta’s heart beat rapid tempo in her chest.

“Unless there are plants within my hair, I am thinking what you are drawing is me, Bernie.” Her heart shot in her throat when Petra looked her in the eyes. “So? Should I be...should I stay still?”

“N...no.” She put her sketchbook down and took the chance to close their distance, fingers brushing against the hand Petra had placed upon the ground. “I can come back to it later.”


End file.
